Govt extends ban on ULFA for 5 years

Government has further extended the ban on United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) for continuing to indulge in"illegal and violent" activities to ensure the liberation of Assam by instructing its cadres to carry out terror acts and restructuring its organisational network at the grass-root by launching a systematic recruitment drive.

In a notification issued on Wednesday, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said it was extending the ban to tackle the "sustained and ever-increasing violence" committed by ULFA in the recent past against police, armed forces and the civilians.

It said the ULFA is indulging in illegal and violent activities intended to "disrupt the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India in furtherance of its objective of liberating Assam" and it has aligned itself with other unlawful associations of the north-east to secede Assam from India.

Citing the incidents since 2015, the notification said ULFA carried around 70 violent incidents, either individually or in alliance with other insurgent groups in the north-east, which included the killing of 32 persons, including 25 civilians during this period.

There were 47 cases of recovery of unauthorised arms and ammunitions from its cadres besides cases of "extortions and secessionist activities, and endangering the lives of innocent citizens, in addition to acts of kidnappings for ransom".

The ULFA continues to establish sanctuaries and training camps in neighbouring countries and has embarked upon "restructuring of its organisational network at the grass-root level by launching a systematic drive for the recruitment of fresh cadres while continuing its violent and insurgent activities".

The notification said if there is no immediate curb and control of the unlawful activities of ULFA, it may take the opportunity to mobilise its cadres for escalating its secessionist, subversive and violent activities, openly propagate anti-national activities and indulge in killings of civilians and targeting of police and security forces personnel among others.